Frog or crossing.



4 PATENTED MAY 8, 1906.

C. C. HARDMAN.

FROG 0R CROSSING.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FROG OR CROSSING.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 8, 1906.

A plicatio filed December 27, 1905. Serial No. 293.491.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CHARLES C. HARDMAN, a citizen of the United. Statesof America, and a resident of Mansfield, Richlandf county, Ohio, haveinvented certain new an useful Improvements in Frogs or Crossings, ofwhich the following is a specification.

My invention relates to frogs or crossings.

In the use of the ordinary frog or crossing on account of the gap oropening between the rails of the frog and track the rolling-stock issubjected to a constant jar or vibration as the wheels pass over thegap, causing undue wear, strain, and crystallization of the partscomposing the rolling-stock and frog. apparent that if means areprovided to close the gap the rolling-stock will pass over the crossingat the same speed without the jar, noise, and vibration of the partscaused by the frogs now in use and which add greatly to the expense ofmaintenance and the liability of accident.

The essential feature of my improvements is to afford facilities forclosing up the gap or opening between the rails of the frog and therails of the track at any intersection or crossing of a railway orrailroad, thereby providing continuous rail-crossing for therollingstock in either direction.

Another object is to provide means to 0perate the closing-rail mechanismfrom either side or en l manually or automatically.

I attain these and other objects by the mechanism illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a top plan view of my devicemounted on a frame. Fig. 2 is a top view of one of the, beveled railswith central portion broken away and cross-sectional end view thereof.Fig. 3 is a side view of Fig. 2, showing a portion cut away under bothends of the rail. Figs. 4 and 5 are top and side views, respectively, ofthe movable shoe. Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional end view of Figs. 4 and 5.

Fig. 6 is a top view of one of the stan ards or plates upon which theoperating mechanism of the frog is mounted. Figs. 7 and 8 are top andside views, respectively, of the reversing-bar. Fig. 9 is a perspectiveView of the clamp or guide for the movable rail. Figs. 10 and 11 are topand side views, respectively, of one of the angular levers. Figs. 12

and 13 are top and cross-sectional end views,

respectively, of one of the short rails forming the corner-rails of thefrog, which abut against the track-rails.

It is.

In the construction of my frog I prefer to mount it upon a rectangularwooden frame 1, leaving the ends 2 of the beams or sills forming theframe projecting from each corner, as shown in the drawings. A standardor railplate 3, preferably made in four pieces for convenience inconstruction, (see Fig. 6,) is provided and securely attached to theframe by any well-known fastening means. When the plates 3 are securedto the frame, they form a plate or steel support for the rails andoperating mechanism of the frog. Four rails 4, 5, 6, and 7, having theirends a beveled, are secured to the plate and frame at pointsdiametrically opposed to each other and able rails 12, having their endsbeveled to correspond. with the beveled ends of the stationary rails,are mounted on or made integral with a shoe 13. The shoes are providedwith a flange 14, which extends underneath the beveled end of the railinto the shoulder or kerf for the purpose of preventing the shoe andrail from lifting up. Lugs 15 and clamps 16 contact with one si le andthe top of'the shoe, forming a way in conjunction with the kerf for theshoe, which guides and retains it in place when movement is impart ed tothe'shoe to close or open the gap for the purpose intended.

Corner-rails 17 are secured to the plates 3 and the frame 1 in directalinement with the stationary rails 4, 5, 6, and 7. A reversingbar 18,having two arms 19 and 20 extending therefrom, is pivotally secured tothe plates outside the stationary rails. Connectingbars 21 are pivotallysecured on one end to the shoe of the movable rails with the o positeend pivotally connected to one end of the reversing-bar 18.

It will be note i. that all of the shoes carrying the movable rail arelinked together, and when movement is im arted to one it operates all ofthe shoes, closing or opening the gap alternately, forming a continuousrail with either of the intersecting tracks at the will of the operator.

In order to operate the movable rail simultaneously, four angularpivotal levers 22 are secured to the plates 3. The arms 23 extend anddiverge outward at an angle with each other from the angular corner ofthe frame. Link-bars 24 are pivotally connected to each of the arms,forming a rectangular linked connection. The arms 20 of the reversingbarare pivotally connected to the center of the link-bars, therebyconnecting all of the movable shoes together and providing a means ofsimultaneously reciprocating the shoes in the ways from any point orpart of the linked-b ar connection. An elongated slot is formed in theprojecting end 2 of the frame for the passage and movement of thelinkbars. The lugs 25 keep the ends of the stationary rails fromspreading. The bar 26 can be connected to the usual switch-lever andoperated manually, or appropriate mechanism can be attached to thewheels of the rolling-stock, actuating the frog mechanism automatically.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patcut, is

1. In a frog for crossings, aframe, a standard mounted on said frame,rails having beveled ends secured to the frame, reversingleverspivotally secured to the standard or plate, movable rails havinginclined ends adapted to close the opening between the intersectingtrack-rails, link-bars pivotally secured to the reversing-bars and meansto impart movement to said bars simultaneously.

2. In a frog for crossings, a frame, a plate mounted thereon, beveledrails secured to said plate, movable rails having their ends beveledslidably secured to the plate, connecting mechanism adapted to actuatesaid movable rails, link-bars pivotally secured to the reversing-bars,reversing-bars pivotally secured to the frame.

3. A frog for railways comprising a frame, a plate mounted thereon,stationary rails having their ends secured to the plate and frame, ashoulder formed underneath the beveled portion of the rails, a shoehaving a flange extending into said shoulder, a rail made in? tegralwith said shoe having a beveled portion adapted'to contact with thebeveled portion of the stationary rails, lugs and a clamp adapted toform a way for said shoe, and means to reciprocate said shoe.

4. In a railway frog, a frame, a plate mounted thereon, stationarybeveled rails, movable beveled rails adapted to reciprocate in ways, areversing-lever, connecting mechanism connecting said movable rails andreversing-levers, angular levers secured to the frame having divergentarms made integral therewith, link-bars connected to said levers and thereversing-bar.

5. A crossing for railways, a frame, a plate mounted thereon, stationaryrails secured to the plate and frame, shoes having a beveled portion ofa rail secured thereto, means to impart a slidable movement to the shoesclosing opening or gap to form a continuous rail, connecting-barssecured to the reversing-bars, link-bars pivotally secured to theconnecting-bars.

6. A crossing for intersecting tracks, a frame, a standard mountedthereon, stationary beveled rails secured to the plate, reversing-barspivotally secured to the plate at diametric points, movable rails havinga shoe fitted to suitable ways, connecting bars adapted to pivotallyconnect the reversingbar and shoes carrying the movable rails, angularlevers pivotally secured to each corner of the frame having armsdiverging therefrom, link-bars connected to angular levers whereby theshoes carrying the movable rail can be actuated simultaneously.

7. In a frog or crossing for intersecting tracks, a frame, a plate orstandard mounted thereon for the purpose of supporting an operatingmechanism, stationary rails secured to the plate having their endsbeveled, movable beveled rails adapted to slidably contact with thebeveled ends of the stationary rails to close or provide an openingbetween intersecting rails, means to operate said movable railssimultaneously.

8. In a frog or crossing for intersecting tracks, a frame, a platemounted thereon, rails having beveled ends secured to the plate, movablerails mounted on a shoe slidably secured to the plate, reversing-barspivotally secured to the frame, connecting-bars secured to said bars,and means to actuate the movable rods simultaneously as described.

9. In a frog or crossing for intersecting tracks, a frame, a platemounted thereon, beveled rails securedto said plate, movable railshaving their ends beveled slidably secured to said plate, link-barspivotally attached to one end of said movable rails, reversing-barspivotally secured to the frame and link-bars.

10. In a frog or crossing, a frame, a standard, stationaryrail-sections, movable railsections, reversing-bars secured to thestandard, link-bars connecting the reversing-bars and movablerailsections, and means to simultaneously actuate said movablerail-sections as described.

Signed at Mansfield, Ohio, this 23d day of December, 1905.

CHARLES C. HARDMAN.

Witnesses:

JOHN H. Ooss, H. E. BELL.

